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Comparable Schools'
Diversity Grades:
College Prowler Take
Oh, diversity! Whitman College is occasionally referred to as “White-man College,” which may provide some insight to the diversity here. Most students recognize the importance of diversity and that lacking it is a problem, but don’t do anything about it, possibly because they are the problem, being white, liberal, atheist/agnostic and upper-middle class themselves. In fact, due to these general trends in diversity, Whitman tends to attract a few students who quite prefer being in a majority of thought in terms of politics and religion. Meanwhile students with varying backgrounds often describe the adjustment to the homogeny of Whitman as difficult. It seems as though the administration perceives that the lack of racial, political, religious, and socio-economic diversity is a problem but finds itself unsure of how to go about improving, fixing, or dealing with the issue. A variety of on-campus resources are available, from the Intercultural Center to religious groups and a Spirituality Room to various lectures and campus events raising awareness; generally, however, only students who are already aware of the issues take advantage of them. Students feel that Whitman’s events, as fun and educational as they might be, are “preaching to the choir.” Beyond traditional conceptions of diversity, students themselves have pretty eclectic personalities. Students bring their activities from home and also form new interests on campus. Most students agree that, personality-wise and interest-wise, Whitman is a diverse place. In terms of other forms of diversity? You’ll be hard-pressed to find much of it.
Students Speak Out
Love your school more than free food? Hate your school more than term papers?
Somewhere in between? Show the world what YOU think of YOUR school:
Anonymous says:  |
Whitman is a pretty hard place to...
Whitman is a pretty hard place to adjust to unless you’re used to a predominantly white, middle-upper-class environment. |
Anonymous says: |
I have several friends who aren’t...
I have several friends who aren’t from the dominant class, and they’re all fed up with how non-diverse Whitman is. Most of them have strongly considered leaving at one time or another, and I’m glad most of them haven’t, because the few of them bring a lot to the school and are very active. If it weren’t for these few students, Whitman would be even more homogenous and much more boring. |
Anonymous says: |
There’s much diversity...
There’s much diversity activity-wise, and students seem to try to make up for the lack of racial diversity by putting on a wide variety of events and programs. |
Anonymous says: |
There’s a wide variety of...
There’s a wide variety of interests and talents, so that brings some diversity. It’s nice to be in such an accepting environment when it comes to peoples’ personal interests and what they’ve done before they came to Whitman. But, I can honestly say that’s pretty much the only form of diversity. |
Anonymous says: |
There’s really no diversity here!...
There’s really no diversity here! I rarely see a diverse group of faces in most of my classes, and though it doesn’t seem to affect the kind of class discussions that take place, I know the views of this school are lacking because they aren’t as all-encompassing as a more diverse school would be. |
FactsEconomic Status
There’s a large variety of economic status at Whitman, and lower-class population percentages are smaller. Though Whitman tries to cater to all students, the school does, unfortunately, have a reputation as a school for the “rich white kids.” Fortunately, more student organizations have recently been created to help students with less prosperous financial backgrounds adjust to Whitman and provide ongoing support.
Gay Pride
Respect of homosexuality at Whitman is very strong, especially considering the strong religious affiliations of Walla Walla (it’s a Seventh Day Adventist community). Most students are very tolerant, accepting, and open with their feelings towards homosexuality, though some students still have some difficulty with these issues. Generally speaking, Whitman students are highly tolerant of any type of sexuality.
Minority Clubs
American Indian Association, Asian Cultural Association, Black Student Union (BSU), Club Latino, Coalition against Homophobia, Feminists Advocating Change and Empowerment (FACE), First-Generation / Working-Class Students (FGWC), GLBTQ Club, Hillel-Shalom, Hui Aloha, International Students and Friends Club (ISFC), Muslim Student Association, South Asian Students Association, Vietnamese Club
Most Common Religions
There seems to be a divide in the majority of agnostic or atheist students and minority of religious students. The most common religions are definitely Judaism and Christianity, both Protestant and Catholic. Although there is a strong Jewish group, Hillel-Shalom, and Christian group, the Whitman Christian Fellowship, religion is not a large focus on campus, but nonetheless there are a surprising number of students dressed up on Easter Sunday.
Political Activity
Whitman is a very active school politically. Most students are liberal, both socially and politically. Students are caring and active in protests and forums, though these don’t happen in an incredible abundance. If asked, most students be able to explain their opinions and political and social views on almost any issue. Students like to keep themselves informed, and they often get up in arms over even smaller issues, like debates over the student e-mail listserve. Students who don’t fit into the majority are generally politically apathetic or consider themselves liberal without really knowing why. Recently, however, there has been a slight increase in the conservative voice on campus.
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